George Hawi

George Hawi (5 November 1938-21 June 2005) was the Secretary-General of the Lebanese Communist Party during the Lebanese Civil War.

Biography
George Hawi was born on 5 November 1938 in Bteghrine, Lebanon to a Greek Orthodox Christian family, but he later became an atheist and took part in popular movements and demonstrations. On 23 April 1969 he was jailed for supporting a pro-Palestine demonstration and again in 1970 for attacking a Lebanese Army detachment, and in 1979 he became the Secretary-General of the Lebanese Communist Party. During the Lebanese Civil War, he allied with Walid Jumblatt and joined the Lebanese National Movement during the struggle against Syria, Israel, and Maronite militias, but he later allied with Syria. In 1993, he resigned as Secretary-General, and he became critical of Damascus in his later life. On 21 June 2005, he was killed by a remote-controlled bomb in Beirut, and Syria was blamed for his death.